Ferry schedules on this island change by season, by day of week, and occasionally by weather — which is why this page follows one rule: we publish times only after checking them against the operators’ current timetables, and we date the check. A guide that guesses your boat time isn’t a guide; it’s a stranding.
Today’s verified departures
The live departure board on this page and in the site header draws from our verified schedule file, updated each season. When it’s empty between updates, the operators below are the source of truth.
The operators (always the final word)
Block Island Ferry (Interstate Navigation) runs the Point Judith routes — traditional car ferry year-round, high-speed catamaran in season — plus the seasonal Newport service. Their published schedule is the authority for the island’s main lifeline. Our Point Judith guide covers everything around the timetable: parking, fares, standby, and the Galilee arrival playbook.
Block Island Express (Cross Sound Ferry) runs the seasonal fast boats from New London, Connecticut — the route to know coming from New York. Details in the New London guide.
The Montauk seasonal service rounds out the map; the complete ferry guide compares all four routes side by side.
Reading the schedule like a local
Three patterns hold every season. First: the earliest boats out and the mid-afternoon boats back are the day-tripper workhorses — they fill first on summer Saturdays. Second: the last boat of the day is the one weather cancels first; if missing Monday matters, don’t bet it on a foggy-season Sunday evening. Third: vehicle space sells out weeks before foot traffic even thinks about it — walk-ons can be spontaneous, cars cannot.
Boat-day essentials: parking decides how your morning starts, and the marine forecast decides whether the crossing is a cruise or a ride.